


rings around your eyes

by clockworkcheetah



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hair Braiding, Healing, Light Angst, Nightmares, Soft Chloe Decker, Soft Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:34:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27294988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkcheetah/pseuds/clockworkcheetah
Summary: It's a slow process, but he's healing.
Relationships: Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Comments: 14
Kudos: 190





	rings around your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> this is like a combo of my previous luci fics. i really like post-lucifer returns from hell fics especially because the show never really delved into it

They didn't get a lot of breathing room. Which, in turn, meant Chloe didn't really get a chance to just sit and think about it. 

When she had briefly thought Michael was Lucifer, she did have thoughts that being in Hell for thousands of years would have some effect. But when the actual Lucifer came back, she got wrapped up in other things and it got pushed aside. 

She may not have noticed it then, but now she's gotten a thinking period to notice that he has changed. Hell did affect him. Chloe feels guilty that she didn't see it, but Lucifer definitely- and desperately- has tried to quash it down, so she wouldn't worry about him. It makes her more guilty, though she won't admit it, otherwise they'll just be wrecks again. And they've been in that state far too many times. 

When they've crossed their hurdles and settled into a relationship, it's easier to pick up on. His reaction to people- specifically the ones he is close to. Chloe didn't notice it with her- he recognised her seemingly instantly- but everyone else there is just this fleeting moment where he appears to be trying to match names to faces. Like everyone got the joke straightaway, but it took him a moment and was relieved to understand. Or, like someone who could not remember someone's name and was too proud to admit it. 

Chloe did confront him about it. Gently- for all his confidence, you don't just brush off centuries worth of Hell and be ok in a couple weeks. 

"Names are the first to go, Detective." Is his cool response. 

Chloe doesn't know how to reply. Maybe there isn't one. 

"I didn't... forget you all entirely." He answers the questions she isn't vocalising. "You got all foggy- everyone's features started blurring together." He lets out a short laugh. "You looked like a Picasso painting." 

He leans against the balcony. She joins him, saying nothing. 

After a long while, he faces her, partly illuminated by the city. "You must know. I may have forgotten your name when down there, but I didn't forget _you_ , Chloe." 

Lucifer's gaze is desperate, and all Chloe can do is press her mouth to his. He sinks into it, needy. 

She pulls back, just enough to rest her forehead against his. 

"I know you didn't." 

* * *

Chloe can make a confident assumption that Lucifer didn't sleep much- if at all- during his time down there. She's seen him experiencing a lack of sleep before- wild and strung-out (and a twinge of guilt on her end)- and this isn't exactly that, but he's so exhausted. The kind that can never just go overnight. She wants to ask, but she's not sure if she can. Hell may be forever a bleeding wound for him. 

It's not like he's falling asleep on the job, or he's so tired that his words slur to an incomprehensible mess (though, that's happened once or twice, or maybe many times). It's just the way he leans heavily against her, sometimes- not even in a physical way, just... he lingers. The way his eyes flit around a room, as if there's potential threats. The way he wakes with the tired expression of ' _I have to do this again._ ' 

Thankfully, the third thing has been easing, due to getting to wake up to her. He gets to be with her again and again. 

Chloe had expected him the hog the bed- like her, all spread out- and it'll be problem for them both. But no, he tucks himself in the side, or curls his large body around her. Sometimes he has the sheets pooled low at his hips, and other times, he's buried so far under that only a tuft of hair is visible. Chloe never thought in her wildest dreams she would say the Devil is the picture of innocence when he sleeps, but he really is. Years are stripped off of him- not that he ages- but the lines on his face soften, making him appear youthful, almost. 

He resembles a giant cat a little bit- it's infuriatingly adorable- and Chloe kind of wants to take a picture to savour it forever. But it feels wrong to her. Instead, she just kisses the crown of his head, a sleepy mumble from him in return. 

The nightmares are slowly becoming less frequent too. Baby steps. Everything comes back up to the surface. 

He doesn't even really take over the bed when his dreams sour. Usually, he's quiet- at most little gasps and grunts- until he bolts awake, breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. It wakes Chloe up, but she doesn't complain- she never will, and she runs a soothing hand down his back. 

Other times, Lucifer lets out uncharacteristic whimpers, and digs deeper into the sheets. Chloe tucks his head under hers, and holds him through it, murmuring little words of reassurance. 

He once had a much more horrifying reaction to a dream. He thrashed violently, his skin red and rough, wings leather-y and clawed. When he's able to snap out of it, despite being haggard and drained, eyes red-rimmed, he's more distressed that he may have hurt her. Thankfully, though startled, Chloe escaped, unharmed. She’s more shaken for him, than at him. 

Because she knows they most likely aren't going back to sleep for tonight, she suggests that they watch shitty movies and eat leftover takeout instead. So, they do. Except they don't really watch and they don't really eat. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asks softly. 

"No." 

"Will you talk to Linda about it?" 

Lucifer closes his eyes and he looks so old. "Maybe, Detective." 

Chloe drops it. He won't lie and she doesn't want to dredge anything up. She reaches for a slice of cold pizza. 

"I feel like I'm at a slumber party. Or what I'm guessing they were like." She says, switching the subject. The joys of an unconventional upbringing. 

Lucifer cracks open an eye. He grins, a little shaky around the edges. "Shall we paint each other's nails, then? Braid hair?" 

"Can you actually braid hair?" 

He looks mock-offended. "Well, obviously! I'm an immortal, I've had time to experiment in _all_ kinds of ways." 

Lucifer shifts his position on the couch, and indicates that Chloe should sit between his legs. She settles in comfortably. 

She still has bed-head, so Lucifer gently runs his fingers through her hair to smooth it out the best he can. He falls into a rhythm of braiding. It somehow feels like one of the most intimate they've done; despite the fact he's been inside her multiple times. 

"When did you learn to do this?" 

"Like I said- immortal. I think some of my siblings had long hair, I don't remember. And when I'd go... topside, I met many men and women that had long, long hair. Also, me." 

"You had long hair?" 

"Yes, it was before you lot had any decent hair products, so it was an unruly mess." 

Chloe has a mental image of Lucifer with a long curtain of curls. 

"I bet you looked cute." 

"Detective! I'm the Devil, I don't do _cute_." 

"I think you're adorable. When you're not being a pain in the ass." 

She can feel Lucifer tug her hair a bit- not enough to hurt. Chloe imagines his face right now. The same expression Trixie makes when she has to eat broccoli. 

"It's done," Lucifer huffs a bit. "Not up to my usual standards, but... it's been a while." 

She scurries to his bathroom- he has an obscene number of mirrors- the braid seemed simple, but it looked more complicated than the ones she did for herself. 

"It's stunning, Lucifer." She says, returning. 

"Of course it is." He responds smugly. 

"Mmm. Maybe we could make a thing of it." Chloe settles down next to him. 

"Oh? Well, it would be my pleasure, Detective." Despite the easy smile, he still looks a little strained behind the eyes. 

"Hey," Chloe reaches over and pecks his lips. "Are you alright?" 

"I will be." He's clearly starting to flag. Chloe can feel his exhaustion. 

"I know you don't want too, but you should sleep, Lucifer." 

"Don't w'nna." 

"I know, I know, but try? For me?" 

She gently runs her thumbs under his eyes. He falls compliant to her touch. 

"Stay?" He mumbles. 

She pushes him down and rests against his chest. Chloe feels his arms flop on top of her. They fall asleep remarkably quickly and it stays thankfully uneventful for the remainder of the night. The braid is mussed in the morning, so Lucifer redoes it. It's neater this time around, although Chloe can feel the slight tremble in Lucifer's hands. 

She doesn't comment on it. 

* * *

The trembling has been going on since his return. Possibly earlier, he seems to tremble when he's being vulnerable, but in an intense way. And that was always directed at her. It bothers him- not the vulnerability, the tremors- because he likes to keep his hands busy, most of his hobbies involve his hands and precision. To be fair, he is unfairly talented with his fingers, and he likes delicate work, so the shaking must drive him insane. During the early days of his return, he played the occasional key wrong on the piano. He mutters a curse under his breath, takes a swig of his drink, and continues playing. It was in the privacy of his penthouse, so only she knows and she decides not to say anything. Everything he plays is still beautiful and the muscle memory is kicking in. Despite the hiccups, he falls into a rhythm, as if there was nothing wrong in the first place. 

It bothers her slightly, because it upsets him. Sometimes, she takes his hands in hers and kisses them; inner wrists, knuckles, each fingertip. It makes the Devil blush. Chloe just smiles coyly, and kisses his warm cheek. 

She rests her head on his shoulder. "You play beautifully." She murmurs. 

He makes a pleased noise, fighting off the flush. "Thank you, Detective." 

Lucifer plays some more. Chloe's pretty sure he's playing various nineties hits for her. Gradually, he fazes out, just resting his hands on the keys. She reaches over and squeezes one. 

"I'm going to take a shower." Chloe says, standing up. 

"Oh?" Lucifer lips twitch. 

"And you better join me." 

"With _pleasure_." 

It wasn't exactly what Chloe would call a sexy shower, but it was intimate for her, and she doubts Lucifer's really done this, either. He lets her wash his hair, and likewise, she lets him do the same. Lucifer soaks in the heat, especially letting the spray run down his spine, rolling his shoulders, a soft moan escaping his lips. Chloe isn't sure if the heat of the water or seeing him like that is making her more flushed. 

* * *

Lucifer keeps his wings out sometimes. He loathes them, but he makes a passing remark that he avoids unfurling them when in Hell. When asked, he just shrugged and said, 'Well, they're giant targets on back and demons are... well, they're naturally the violent sort." 

He was uncomfortable for ages- rolling his shoulders, rubbing his back. Apparently, he did unfurl them when fighting his brother, and when she was taken, but he never got a chance to just stretch and groom them. Eventually, Chloe sternly, but gently, manages to convince him to just have them out. 

He unfurls them slowly, and when she can hear them crack, she's worried they're injured, but from the relieved look on Lucifer, they're probably just stiff. He flaps them a few times. They don't look injured to her untrained eye, but they look messy, less pure white and more ash-y, dusty. Feathers askew. 

Lucifer stands in the middle of the penthouse and stretches his wings out fully, stretching his back in the process. He examines them. 

"Hell is unbelievably unsanitary." He says casually to Chloe. "There wasn't much opportunity to clean them." 

"Do you... need help?" She asks. She doesn't know a thing about wing grooming. Lucifer's wings twitch. 

"I can clean off the worst of it, Detective." He kisses her temple. 

He excuses himself to the bathroom, keeping his wings curled close to his body, although they leave a scattering of ash behind him. Chloe leaves him to do whatever it is one does to clean wings, and settles at his desk to study over some case files. She takes a moment to google wings, just to get some vague understanding of them. Are angel wings like regular bird wings? They seem similar enough. She's not entirely sure she knows what she's looking for. 

She gets pretty engrossed with her work, so she isn't paying attention to the time. A sheepish voice breaks the silence. 

"Detective?" 

"Lucifer? Something wrong?" 

"Need some help... just a small thing." 

She peers into the bathroom. It's a mess- a manageable one- and Lucifer looks fine. His wings are clean and, even under artificial lights, they're beautiful. He flexes his wings when he sees her. Chloe tries to bite back a smile, it reminds her of a peacock, though she doubts he's doing it intentionally. She wonders if angels are a bit like birds int that regard. Should she expect him to start nesting? 

"What's the problem?" She asks, before she gets too side-tracked with thinking of Lucifer performing bird behaviours. 

"Just some feathers I can't reach." He turns and gestures his back. 

Some smaller feathers at the base of the wings, right where they are connected to his back. Judging by the noises his making, she's doing a good job tidying them. His wings flutter. 

"Is this feeling good?" She runs a finger right by the base. 

He visibly shivers. "It's been a long time." 

She kisses between his shoulder blades; she really does adore his wings. He sighs, wingtips brushing lightly against her. 

"Do I detect a kink, Detective?" Lucifer says, turning around to face her. 

She blushes slightly. She doesn't consider herself a kinky person- especially when compared to Lucifer- but there's something about his wings she's drawn too. 

"Maybe... you could keep them out next time." She says, softly. "Only if you're ok with that." 

He hums thoughtfully. "Consider it considered." 

He keeps his wings unfurled next time. Chloe finds herself swimming in galaxies. 

* * *

It's a slow heal, but he's getting there. He's needy and gets anxious when he can't see her, but he's better than he was, when he first got out of Hell. There are bad days, sometimes bad weeks. He can be a pain; he can be fragile. Chloe is deeply in love with him. 

Currently, they're sitting naked in bed, her sitting between his legs, back pressed against his chest. They're partially cocooned by his wings, as they soak up the sunrise. Chloe's starting to doze off. 

"Are you happy, Detective?" Lucifer asks, playing with her hair. 

Chloe blinks, muzzily. "Of course." She turns her head to get a look at him. "What bought this on?" 

Lucifer doesn't look worried. His smile is warm. "Nothing at all." 

"And, are you-" Chloe idly strokes his thigh. "-happy?" 

"More than anything." 

**Author's Note:**

> maybe one day ill actually plan out my next luci fic- ive kinda been writing these as inspo hits  
> tumblr is clockworkcheetah


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